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Author
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Topic: Conisbrough
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Peter
Member
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posted 03-29-2001 11:04 AM
  
Re: Conisbrough Picture in photo archive (aplogies for misspelling).
A recent article sent to me by a good friend, regarding an issue of 'History Today'. The article is entitled 'Early Norman Castles in Suffolk', by Lucy Marten-Holden. In this article is a close up picture of the left hand buttress in my picture. Stating that (what I though were put-log holes of some nature) the square regular holes at the top, are pigeon nest holes !!!
I find this rather strange, as they seem to appear on this buttress only, and also seem to carry around on to the main tower itself. If they were pigeon nest holes, surely they would appear on the buttress only (ie access from the inside), and not carry on to the main stonework ?
As you approach the main castle this would be the buttress on the right hand side.
Comments on this item would be most interesting. |
wurdsmiff
unregistered
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posted 03-29-2001 12:51 PM
At Hallbar Tower there are a large series of such pigeon nest holes, which once were part of a dovecote (doocot) which was accessed by a wooden walkway and protected by a wooden superstructure. The wooden structure of course has gone, though is it possible that some similar arrangement existed at Connisburgh? |
Philip Davis
unregistered
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posted 03-29-2001 01:22 PM
Moving Conisbrough for a moment back to Yorkshire.
In the English Heriage guide book by Stephen Johnson, he is careful to say that the buttress has been interpreted as a doveco (my italics) It is many years now since I visited Conisbrough but I do recall that the outstanding feature of the keep is the high quality of the ashlar work and the abscence of putlog holes. However, on closer examination of the guide book I do see what you mean. This one buttress, of the six, is surronded by holes, all at the same level, all about a foot apart. I can only suppose that these holes supported some timber structure. It may be this, now lost, timber structure that is considered to be the dovecot rather than the holes themselves. Certainly this buttress is not one one would consider as particuarly deserving of especial defensive hoarding. (It's one of two overlooking the first floor entrance but it doesn't notably overlook the curtain wall.) I suspect that there was a timber hoarding around the top of this buttress, which may well have been multifunctional, although I guess it's main function was to house timber nesting boxes for a dovecot. |
Peter
Member
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posted 03-30-2001 11:24 AM
Philip,
many thanx for cheering me up with your first line (been a hectic week). I to wondered at the choice of the castle for the article. But there is a section on fish-ponds,
etc. in the article, and I suppose the Conisbrough one was handy.
Perhaps no examples exist in the area of the article.
I see the reasoning behind all this, but I just don't sit easy with the idea. Can't explain why. Thank you both for the comments. |
A Knight
Senior Member
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posted 03-31-2001 03:09 AM
G T Clark provided a very detailed survey of Consibrough Castle in the 1880's - reprinted in his Medieval Military Architecture - Vol 1 p 431-453. He included a detailed cross section (which I think was included in the first edition of Stephen Johnson's guidebook) and numberous plans including parapet level. He discusses the holes and his comments on the paricular buttress are as follows : "The are no loops, but the walls of this chamber and the adjacent parts of the parapet are pierced by a number of holes, about 6 inches high by 5 inches broad. These have been supposed to be intended to carry the floor spars of a bretasche or wooden gallery, though they are small for such a purpose, and there are no holes or corbels below for struts. Moreover, these holes are confined to the buttress over the oratory and the adjacent walls, and are not straight. They extend, it is true, over the main entrance, but had they been intended for its defence they would probably have been placed with the door beneath their centre instead of below one end of the line. That is, they would have been placed in the two flanking buttresses as well as in the bay between them. It has been suggested that these are pigeon-holes, and no doubt, during a strict siege a good supply of these birds might have been found useful. There are certain holes in the keep at Rochester, that probably were so intended, and that are, or recently were, so used."------------------
Andy Knight
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Peter
Member
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posted 03-31-2001 10:31 AM
Cheers Andy,
I can't argue with any of that. Though I often wonder about this thing of supplies during a siege. I know those birds aren't bright. But would you stay around if someone was hurling great big lumps of whatever in your direction ? |
A Knight
Senior Member
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posted 04-13-2001 11:53 AM
It may be of interest but I've come across a series of reconstructions - probably by Ivor Lapper of Conisbrough Castle. In two views hordings are shown over the entrance of the keep - probably utilising the holes under discussion. Perhaps he's just used artistic license.------------------
Andy Knight
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Peter
Member
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posted 04-14-2001 03:54 AM
Cheers Andy.
I'll tell you the only thing that nags with me is .. if those holes are for our cooing friends, and they were just in one buttress. I'd go for it.
But to take them onto the main tower for (as suggested) a short distance does not make complete sense.
One .. because you would have to have some kind of box to house the birds.
Two .. if this was so, they would impede anyone on those battlements trying to defend the tower.
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